The id, the ego, and the superego -- this is the
model that Freud used to describe the components of human personality.
The ego, tempered by the superego, is that conscious part that acts
as mediator between the instinctual drives of the unconscious id
and the social environment.
According to Freud, the ego has developed what he calls defense
mechanisms, to cover for the wild demands of the id, which would
rarely be socially acceptable.
All of the defenses can be described as a combination of denial
or repression with different ways of rationalization.
When we rationalize, we are distorting the facts to make the event
or our own impulses less threatening; that is, diluting the anxiety
to a manageable level. We often come to believe our own distortions,
or excuses, or even lies.
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